Our Process

Using a blend of pure olive oil combined with 20% shea butter, coconut oil, and palm oil, Ipswich Bay Soap has created the ultimate moisturizing soap. These soaps have a creamy lather which leaves the skin feeling soft and supple, never tight. The soaps are 100% natural containing dried herbs, natural oxides and ultramarines, pure essential oils and fragrances. These soaps are very lightly scented and are suitable for a variety of skin types. The soaps are cut into generous, 4 oz. bars. Each batch is made by hand and cured for 4 weeks.

We add precise amounts of lye and water to our own special blend of olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and shea butter. Using a paddle blender, the lye mixture is slowly added to the oil mixture. What makes our soaps so special and so different from commercial soap is that they naturally contain glycerin. Glycerin is a natural byproduct of the cold process soap method. Commercial soap makers intentionally remove the glycerin from their soap and sell it as a separate product to the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. By removing the natural glycerin, commercial soap can be very drying.

After blending the mixture for several minutes, the soap begins to thicken. This stage is called “trace.” At this point, dried herbs, seeds or oats can be added along with essential oils and fragrances. The mixture is then carefully poured into lined molds. The molds are covered and left to cure for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, the mold is carefully removed and cut into logs and then bars. Each bar is cured for about 4 weeks.